Domaine Boris Champy: the pioneer of biodynamics in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune.
Founded in 1984 by Didier Montchovet, the Domaine began with a small 0.5-hectare vineyard in Nantoux. Originating from a family of winemakers, Didier Montchovet, a young oenology consultant and wine tasting instructor, worked the vineyards using organic and biodynamic cultivation methods, listening to and respecting nature. It was the first wine domaine in Burgundy to receive Demeter biodynamic certification.
In a time when the "all chemical" approach was being re-evaluated and the concept of terroir and the invaluable value of Burgundy's Climats were not yet fully appreciated by all, Didier Montchovet was among the few pioneering producers who were discussing and practicing an eco-friendly and solidarity-driven viticulture long before it became fashionable. Eager to educate others, he shared his expertise with many other vineyards, both modest and famous, inspiring them to follow this path that respects man in his environment.
Over the years, the domaine expanded its surface area through the purchase of other small vineyard plots, maintaining its roots in Nantoux in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune. Today it extends over about 12 hectares, with two large areas: the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune with the Montagne de Cras, Le Clou, and En Bignon plots, and 3 plots close to each other: Pommard En Bœuf and two Beaune 1er Crus: Aux Coucherias and Les Vignes Franches. Domaine Boris Champy is considered as a multitude of small islands of biodiversity, with numerous "clos", which endow each wine with its own personality and identity that are enhanced in the most natural way possible during the vinification process.
In 2020, with the completion of the vineyard, winery, and inventory takeover, Domaine Didier Montchovet was renamed Domaine Boris Champy. Boris Champy, born in 1974 in the Champagne region, is an oenologist by training who started working at the Dominus Estate in California's Napa Valley for 10 years. He then served as technical director for a well-known négociant in Beaune, and was estate manager for the famous Clos des Lambrays in Morey-Saint-Denis. Thanks to the people he met and worked with over the years, Boris has acquired not only extensive vine-to-wine expertise but also an entrepreneurial mindset that led him, midway through his life, to create his own domaine.
Domaine Boris Champy has practiced certified organic and biodynamic viticulture since its foundation in 1984. Certification is not just a nice achievement, but also reflects a deep commitment to employees, customers, and consumers. Winemaking is as non-interventionist as possible: native yeasts are used, fermentation is controlled through skilled temperature management, and very little extraction is carried out. Boris Champy seeks to reveal the soul of each vineyard, the spirit of the grape variety, and the place. Wine aging is an art of patience and respect. Oak barrels are only present to serve the wine. The domaine therefore uses barrels that have only a subtle influence on the wine and very few new barrels are used.
